Since retiring from Marine Corps aviation 25 years ago, I have accumulated about 15,000 hours flying contracted civil Lear jets inside West Coast warning areas for the military. Most of these have been in Whiskey 291 flying as radar targets from 100 feet up to 45,000 feet. Civil Lear jets are an economical training aid for Navy surface and air units practicing their skills.

In those years there have been surprises like near-collisions and a fatal midair collision of two Lear jets in March 1986, and also a civilian single-piloted twin turboprop that fatally impacted the water in 1989. In another unique incident, while towing a target for a ship, an unannounced F-14 flew behind me and snipped the cable. Seeing the New Jersey fire its supposedly cold guns was interesting. If one participates in military aviation long enough, strange things can and do happen.

Normal missions into 291 begin with checking in with Beaver Control, which updates the crew on which areas are hot and to be avoided. En route, it provides traffic advisories. But it’s not like being on a civil airway where airline traffic is tightly controlled by air traffic control centers. There’s far too much maneuvering traffic in 291, some of which is rapidly changing directions and at times going vertical in what are known as “fur balls.” You can’t train an F-18 pilot if he has to fly like it’s a 757. That’s why we have warning and restricted areas.

While all this is going on, the aircrew has to monitor three frequencies, Beaver Control, the ship or aircraft being worked and the company net to keep track of one’s cohorts. Although it can be hectic (think talking on three telephones), it works quite well and sometimes is even boring.

The collision of a Coast Guard C-130 and a Marine Cobra was, of course, tragic. I know the Navy will thoroughly investigate whether there were any miscommunications involved and take appropriate corrective action. Tragic as the accident was, the “see and be seen” flight rules will have to prevail.

E. WILLIAM PAULSON
Valley Center

Oceanside recall campaign heats up

For the past seven years, it has been my honor to serve as both mayor and council member of my hometown. I also served more than 31 years as an Oceanside police officer. My time on the council has allowed me to serve and improve the city I love — until the last three years. Now I find myself in favor of recalling one of my fellow council members, Jerry Kern.

My first recollection of Kern was his fierce opposition to the El Corazon initiative. Since Kern has been on the council, he and his aide, Ben Sullivan, have bullied staff and turned his office into a partisan political office.

Kern has insulted speakers who appeared at our council meetings. He tried to overturn the city ordinance requiring lobbyists to register and identify themselves. Kern has worked to destroy our fire and police departments, cutting several of their public safety positions.

Budget cuts to public safety are not necessary — they are retribution. There is $5 million available to save our public safety services. Because of his actions, I ask you to recall Kern.

JIM WOOD
Mayor, City of Oceanside

Should Oceanside residents voice their displeasure with the recall election by boycotting it?

Abstaining will play directly into the hands of the unions, guaranteeing the recall’s success. The unions will leave no stone unturned to get out their votes in favor of the recall.

On Dec. 8, send a loud and clear message to the unions: “We will not tolerate wasting nearly $500,000 of our hard-earned tax dollars on your attempted power grab!” Join with thousands of your fellow Oceanside residents voting no on the recall ballot.

RANDALL HORTON
Oceanside

Influence of unions affects county, too

Regarding the proposed term limits for county supervisors:

We have been experiencing the misery of how wonderfully inefficient state politics has been run by the union-controlled Legislature. Locally, the Vista Unified School District has imploded under poor union-biased leadership and decision-making. Soon Oceanside and Carlsbad could learn the hard way of how union bias will ruin well-operated coastal cities.

And now the Service Employees International Union has garnered enough signatures to ruin the county of San Diego. The city of San Diego has rapidly become “America’s Poorest City” because of its affiliation with selfish special interest groups such as SEIU.

Voters, keep your voice in local politics by voting “no” for term limits so that the majority of the county’s nonunion citizens can be honestly represented.

DALE WESTON
Vista

Obama has chance to end discrimination

Last month, President Barack Obama again called for an end to the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” law that prevents gays and lesbians from serving openly in our armed forces. The American public, including now a majority of conservatives, are on board with getting rid of this archaic law.

The time to do so is here. In the midst of two wars, we should be recruiting and retaining — not firing — all qualified service members, gay and straight. Fifty years of studies, some even commissioned by the Department of Defense, conclude unequivocally that openly gay troops have no impact on unit cohesion, morale, or military readiness.

It’s time for the president to partner with Congress to pass the Military Readiness Enhancement Act and get rid of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” once and for all.

MAR ROBBART
San Diego

A billboard’s message and one from Psalms

Thank you for the story on the “Don’t believe in God?” billboard alongside Interstate 8. Regarding Bob Siegel, a church member who was interviewed and said he didn’t find the billboard offensive but then added: “But I do see a double standard from the atheists. They can put up a sign like that, but during Christmas, if a manger goes on public land, they act like their civil liberties are being taken away.” Where is the double standard? A billboard on private land is not equivalent in any way to a religious display on public land. I’m not sure it was good reporting to let that stand without comment, but I could be wrong.

JIM SHORT
Fallbrook

Bob Siegel accuses atheists of holding a double standard (“Billboard aims to raise profile of nonbelievers”, Nov. 12). “They can put up a sign like that, but during Christmas, if a manger goes on public land, they act like their civil liberties are being taken away.”

The critical distinction between a crèche on public land and an atheistic billboard on private land is not that one is Christian and the other supports atheism. The important difference is that one is on public land and the other is not. That is what makes the first an unconstitutional violation of the separation of church and state, and the second a constitutionally protected expression of free speech.

EVERETT HOWE
Rancho Peñasquitos

I must admit that I laughed as I saw the photo of the nontheists’ billboard and smiled the whole way through John Wilkens’ article. How ironic that the message conveyed by the billboard is confirmed by one of my favorite passages from Psalms:

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”

So here’s my message to the nontheists: You finally got something right, you are not alone!